


Rumor Has It

by ZoneRobotnik



Series: The Good Boy Chronicles [6]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M, The grapevine is having a healthy crop this month, don't talk to dead bodies kids, james has some really nice friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-23
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-09-25 08:00:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17117501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZoneRobotnik/pseuds/ZoneRobotnik
Summary: With James' secret out, Shiro has to do damage control, making James endure house-arrest for a few weeks. When he's allowed out, it's time for a mission!





	Rumor Has It

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AGI92](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AGI92/gifts), [NyxKeilantra413](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NyxKeilantra413/gifts).



> Voltron (c) Netflix & Dreamworks

Between Zethrid's taunting and Nadia's blabbermouth, the news spread of the full extent of James' condition and what he endured while in Sendak's custody _very_ quickly. Turns out, living on one ship out in space made people _very_ hungry for any kind of entertainment, and the Paaldins were having to debunk exaggerations left and right.  
  
“Is it true that he used the Black Bayard?” One person asked Keith.  
  
“Yes, that is true. No, he is not _officially_ a Paladin, because he hasn't chosen to make the Bond with Black yet.” He replied.  
  
“How long is Griffin going to be locked away?” Ryan asked him.  
  
“Until things calm down.” Keith sighed. “You can talk to him via pad until then, though judging by what happened when he told your friend Rizavi, that might get taken away soon, too.”  
  
Ryan frowned. “I see...”  
  
“We don't need people freaking out and upsetting him or asking him questions like, for instance, how big was Sendak's dick. Yes, someone asked me to ask him that and I told them he wouldn't be taking any questions.” Keith growled. “The _last_ thing he needs is a reminder.”  
  
“Doesn't he have a constant reminder _growing inside him_ , though?” One insensitive jerk commented. He jumped two feet in the air when Keith let out a feral growl, his Galran features showing.  
  
“Ooookay, no more questions!” Hunk said, rushing Keith away before he did something rash. “Keith, I know he's your friend, I like him too, but we _can't_ have any in-fighting.”  
  
Keith sighed. “I know...”  
  
–  
  
James managed to get off with a warning about revealing information before Shiro was ready for the ship to know and was allowed to keep his pad, but Kolivan had to screen every message before it was sent.  
  
“Should've figured she wouldn't keep quiet.” James sighed, leaning back against Kolivan's chest as he scrolled through the file Krolia sent him. Kolivan had his own pad out and was doing some work while holding James in his arms, neither of them really wanting to get up. Especially since Shiro had pretty much ordered them both to stay in this room. Their meals were delivered by a cheerful Hunk or Romelle (the blonde Altean girl, who apparently assisted all over the ship) and only got visited by Shiro, Keith or Krolia for longer than a few minutes.  
  
Lately, Krolia hadn't been coming. Actually, they'd all been busy. From what he heard, Zethrid had considered what he'd said and talked to Shiro about her crew joining the Coalition. She was on thin ice and a probation period, but Shiro allowed it. Since then, they'd been going to different planets and reconnecting with the Voltron Coalition.   
  
He couldn't help but feel a bit bitter that he was confined to one room for it. Three heats came and went by the time Shiro finally let him out. Fifteen days. He had been locked away in one room for _fifteen days._ He was feeling more than a little surly when Shiro came to let him out, and even Kolivan's kisses and gentle back-rubs didn't help his mood.  
  
Things had _mostly_ calmed down, and he was starting to show so he skipped on the uniform jacket and wore a uniform sweater, instead. The fun part would be getting into the MFE uniform, but Sam had mentioned it molded to the body of the wearer so that might be okay.  
  
Kolivan kept by his side as he walked around the ship, which might explain why no one bothered him. When it wasn't Kolivan, Keith kept by his side and he was on full alert and growled if anyone tried to ask James anything upsetting.  
  
It was _getting annoying_. Which is why James ducked away when Keith was distracted. He found an ally with the Wolf, who took him even further away by teleporting him elsewhere. He'd deal with Kolivan and Shiro later, he needed some time to himself to walk around.  
  
As it turned out, he was teleported to an on-board lab. The scientists looked startled to see them, but then went back to their work.  
  
“Should we tell the Captain?” He heard one of them say as he walked through the lab.  
  
“Give the guy a break, he probably wants to be left alone for a bit.” Another said.  
  
 _Finally_ , someone gets it!  
  
“We'll just keep an eye on him from a distance. If he starts to freak out, _then_ we'll tell the captain.”  
  
James appreciated that. He walked on and paused by a door before looking at the scientists. “What's in here?”  
  
“Oh, uh, that's...” The first one looked hesitant.  
  
“That's Sendak's body. And head. They're together, obviously.” He noticed the first one was human, but the second one was an alien of some sort. “Do you want to see it?”  
  
“Are you _crazy_? What is he freaks out? Besides, I don't think he has clear--”  
  
“I think he's _earned_ it.” The alien scientist walked over. “Being the one to kill him and all.”  
  
Thank god he didn't mention the whole _sex slave_ thing. That seemed to be all everyone _else_ wanted to talk to him about.  
  
“Yeah.” He nodded. “I...I want to see it.”  
  
The scientists typed in a code and opened the door, letting him in. As Kolian had said, the body and head were perfectly preserved. The head had been put with the body and was secured in place, so you couldn't even tell the head had been cut off unless you looked really closely. His armor had been removed and put to the side and he was left in his bodysuit underneath. James tensed a bit as he looked over, considering the fact that he'd never even seen the man sleeping, and now he was seeing him lying dead on a slab.  
  
“Would you like some privacy?” The scientist asked. The Wolf nudged James' hand and he glanced at him before gently rubbing his head.  
  
“Yeah. That...that would be nice.” James nodded. “Could you take him?”  
  
“Call out if you need anything.” The scientist coaxed the Wolf out with treats and closed the door behind them.  
  
James could hear the human scientist protesting this, but James felt he... _needed_ this. He moved closer and pulled over a stool to climb up onto the slab and sit on Sendak's chest, looking down at him. He was still warm, it was...weird. Like he was just in stasis, even though James had removed his head. Kolivan had explained the quintessence kept him preserved, but could it actually be keeping him... _alive_? Even like this? _Creepy._  
  
He sighed and leaned forward a bit. “I used to not even be able to say your _name_. To even _think_ about you. Now I'm here _with_ you, and look how strong I am. You've hurt me, impregnated me, but you _never broke me_. In the end, you were right to put cuffs on me. As soon I got free, _I cut off your head_. And you _knew_ I'd do it. You _knew_ , even though I was your 'good boy', you _never_ broke me. That I was biding my time.”  
  
He placed his hands on Sendak's chest. “Well, our game is done and, I guess I won, but you got one last laugh, you bastard. But, don't worry. I won't hurt our child. Kolivan is going to take care of _bot_ h of us, in a way you would never. You always spoke badly of half-Galra, well, look at what you put in me. Look at what you did.”  
  
He gripped the bodysuit tightly, his nails digging into the fabric. “ _Look at me, damn you!_ ”  
  
“Okay, time to go.” The scientist walked in and gently lifted him off of Sendak's body. “He's dead, James, he can't hear you or look at you. Let's get you back to the Captain.”  
  
James went quietly, Wolf following behind the two scientists as they led James away.  
  
–  
  
“ _You're_ in trouble.” Keith said, frowning at his Wolf. “How could you take him out of my reach like that?”  
  
“I suspect the Astra Lupine recognized he needed his space and time to himself.” The alien scientist said calmly. “Do not be angry with him, he brought James to where he would be easily cared for if anything were to happen.”  
  
“Thank you, Elio, but I can handle this.” Keith turned to James. “Where did you go?”  
  
“To see Sendak.” James shrugged. “He was...warm.”  
  
Keith looked at him strangely. “Not sure why you say that, but he's not. His body may be preserved, but he's cold as ice.”   
  
“But--”  
  
“We found him on top of Sendak's body.” The human scientist reported. “He was screaming for Sendak to look at him.”  
  
Keith placed his hand on James' shoulder. “Let's get you to your room and you can take a shower. Climbing on a dead body? Seriously? Maybe it was too soon to let you out...” He mumbled, leading James away.  
  
James frowned. Was it all in his head? Sendak had felt so warm...so _alive_.  
  
Keith looked at him with a concerned expression before typing in the code to James' room and walking him in. Then he waited in the room while James showered, apparently afraid to leave him alone.  
  
When he finished and had changed into clothes that hadn't been sitting on top of a dead body, Keith brought him to the bridge to see Shiro.   
  
Shiro glanced at them as they entered and sighed. “I've been thinking that you're a bit...restless, lately. We're going to be checking out an anomaly in space in around three days, I was going to send the MFEs to check it out. I'm assigning you the mission, instead of Veronica.”  
  
“Yeah, you need to fly your ship more often.” Veronica said teasingly.  
  
“Three days.” James did the mental math . Yeah, he should be okay. He just finished a heat yesterday, after all. That gave him one more day before the next heat hit. “I'll do it.”  
  
“Good to hear. Now, why don't you go find the other MFE pilots? They've been worried about you.” Shiro paused. “And Kolivan.”  
  
Well, Kolivan could wait, because he needed a break from him for a bit. James excused himself and followed Keith out, Wolf walking behind them.  
  
“That scientist called him Astra Lupine.” He remarked.  
  
“Which is basically 'space wolf'.” Keith chuckled a bit. “Seriously, though, are you okay? I mean, you thought Sendak's body was warm? After this long? He's long dead.”  
  
“Yeah.” James sighed. “Maybe it's just like Shirogane said. I'm restless.”  
  
“Well, I guess climbing on his dead body and yelling at it is better than what you _were_ doing.” Keith shrugged. “Could be worse. You could've been fucking it.”  
  
“Oh _go_ _d_ , no.” James choked on air and laughed a bit.  
  
“Hey, you never know! I mean, _he_ dominated _you_ for a _year_ , you could _totally_ dominate his dead body!” Keith laughed a bit.  
  
“Ewwww, no. Necrophilia is _not_ my kink, thanks.”  
  
They reached the common area and stepped inside. James didn't miss the brief hush that fell over the room, but it was so brief he could've imagined it. Keith led him over to where his friends were playing a card game with the Paladins.  
  
“Ah, Nadia. Our friendship was brief, but I must say that I enjoyed every moment.” Pidge said, adjusting her glasses before she slammed down a card. “DRAW 4! Oh, and UNO!”  
  
“Ohhhhhh, nooooo! The betrayal!” Nadia said dramatically.  
  
“Says the one that put hotels on Park Place AND Boardwalk.” Lance remarked.  
  
“You're just bitter because the dice hated you enough to keep landing you on both.” Pidge said with a grin.  
  
“Hey, we interrupting?” Keith asked.  
  
“Hey, look who's off house-arrest!” Nadia got up. “Come on, sit down with us! Want to join the next game?”  
  
“Uh, sure. What's the next game?” James asked.  
  
“We haven't decided yet.” Hunk admitted.  
  
“How about Charades?” Ryan asked.  
  
“Oh no, not that one, you _always win_ that one.” James laughed, shaking his head. “Every time.”  
  
“We could play Twister.” Lance suggested.  
  
Keith made a face. “Uhhh, nope. Things got awkward between you and I last time we played that one.”  
  
“Ohh, spill!” Nadia said, always eager for more gossip.  
  
Keith sighed. “I don't know...”  
  
“Come on, I wanna _know_!” Nadia urged.  
  
Keith glanced at James, then smirked. “Well, we were playing Twister, and it was me against him, while the others cheered us on. And then, oh man, Allura, you had the cards, remember?”  
  
“I do.” Allura nodded. “As I recall, _I_ started recognizing what was happening before _you two_ did.”  
  
“Let's just say that, by the time we finished, Keith was _grinding on my ass_.” Lance laughed. “It was _so awkward_.”  
  
“ _I_ was just trying not to fall over, I did _not_ intend to _grind_.” Keith said with a red face. _  
  
_“Allura, how do you feel about that? Your boyfriend got dry-humped!” Nadia laughed.  
  
“I guess your date went well. I didn't hear anything more about that.” James admitted.  
  
Lance's eyes lit up. “Oh yeah, our date went great! We had dinner at my place, she met my family, and then we went to the park, she brought a tree back to life and then I confessed my love to her and we _kissed_. It was _great!_ ”  
  
“I don't care who he dry-humped before, so long as the only one he dry-humps anymore is me.” Allura said casually.  
  
Nadia made a loud “YOOOOOOOOOOOO!” sound while everyone else had other reactions of “Oh my god, too much information, Allura!”  
  
“There is NEVER too much information, give me the DEETS, girl!” Nadia said enthusiastically.  
  
“Oh, well, I don't know if Lance would be alright with it.” Allura smiled at him.  
  
“Well, let's just say, that Altean shapeshifting ability? SO good.” Lance grinned. “I think I have some brand new kinks I didn't _have_ before.” He winked at her.  
  
“Oh. My. God. Add me!” Nadia pulled out her pad. “You gotta tell me more! Did you take pictures?!”  
  
Keith leaned closer to James and whispered, “That oughta keep the rumor mill occupied.”  
  
Ina, who had been quiet this whole time, reached over and squeezed James' hand comfortingly while the others were all distracted.  
  
“HOLY SHIT, SHE DID W _HAT_? Princess, that is so _scandalous_!” Nadia said, and James realized she was raising her voice enough to get others' attention.  
  
“Even a princess can have her moments of...naughtiness.” Allura said, smiling slyly to Lance, who grinned back.  
  
“What happened?” Someone asked, coming over.  
  
Keith took James' hand and discreetly slipped him out while Allura and Lance became the center of attention. Pidge and Hunk slipped out as well, but no one seemed to notice.  
  
“Well, that's some juicy stuff sure to keep people distracted for months.” Pidge remarked.  
  
“I'm glad that Allura and Lance agreed to do this. Even though, I don't know if they actually _have_ been having sex or not.”  
  
“Even if they have, I doubt they'd talk about everything they do so easily.” Keith chuckled.  
  
Realization dawned on James. “...You did this for me.”  
  
“Duh.” Pidge grinned. “It was part of the plan to calm things down. Having rumors about the Princess and Red Paladin is _way_ less distressing than the rumors that were going around before.”  
  
Ina stepped out of the room, sighing a bit before looking at James. “Are you doing okay?”  
  
“Well, as 'okay' as I can manage.” James sighed. “But, uhm, I'm going on the mission with you guys in a few days, so that's good.”  
  
“What about your...?” She looked unsure how to ask.  
  
“I'll have one day left before it hits after the mission.” James assured her. “I just had it yesterday.”  
  
She nodded. “Nadia's been telling us about it, but I still don't understand fully.”  
  
“Don't worry, I'm still learning myself. I can give you the chip to install the information Krolia gave me, if you want.” James offered.  
  
She nodded. “That sounds good.” She pulled out her pad and he pulled out his, safely removing the chip so he could hand it over. “Thank you.”  
  
He nodded. “So, uh...how have you been? I've been really...weird lately.”  
  
“...I should've been able to save you.”  
  
“What?” James frowned.  
  
She put the chip, her gaze on the pad. “I should have been able to save you. I should have been able to fire on the ship taking you away, I was close enough. I...I froze. I have never forgiven myself for it.”  
  
“Oh, Ina.” James gently wrapped his arms around her. “Don't ever blame yourself. If you attacked, they would've taken you, too. And I couldn't _bear_ the thought of any of you being taken as well.” He gently placed his hands on her shoulders, holding her at arms-length. “Part of how I was able to be strong enough to endure it was the knowledge that the rest of you were still out there fighting, safe from Sendak's touch.”  
  
She pulled him closer again. “Still...”  
  
“If I could keep him so distracted that he didn't go down and attack you guys himself, then it was worth every moment.” James said, nodding firmly.  
  
“I don't know that I could do that.” Pidge admitted.  
  
“Yeah, you're...you've got incredible resolve, James.” Hunk said, swallowing nervously at the thought.  
  
James smiled wryly and then released Ina from his hold, sensing she was growing uncomfortable. She was never good with being held for long periods of time, even if she initiated it. “Well, uhm...it looks like they're going to be doing that for a while. And, uh...I've got an Alpha to calm down.”  
  
“Good luck.” Keith said, glancing away.  
  
“Y ou better go, then. Last I saw Kolivan, he was over by the greenhouse with Krolia and my mom.” Pidge nodded.  
  
“Right... _where_ is that?” James asked.  
  
“We'll walk you there.” Keith chuckled, taking his arm and leading him along. “See you later, Ina.”  
  
“So, what did I miss?” James asked as they walked away.  
  
“Uhm, well, we went to Olkarion, but the place was deserted and badly damaged. Pidge learned that the people there were all evacuated, and it had been attacked by one of those Komar mechs. Oh, the Altean in the first one? She's in a coma, we're still trying to get her to wake up. Romelle knows her, though.” Keith explained.  
  
“'Komar mechs'?” James asked.  
  
“Uh, the mech Honerva sent to attack Earth. See, she has this weapon that sucks up quintessence called the Komar, and the mechs can do that, too. So, we call them the Komar mechs. Didn't you get the mission briefing?” Keith asked.  
  
“I was in bed for that, so...no.” James shook his head.  
  
“Damn. I really gotta fill you in on that stuff. Anyways, another one of those mechs attacked Olkarion, so everyone evacuated and Pidge is still working on decoding the spores we found left behind for their destination.” Keith looked ahead and visibly wilted. “And, uh, there's Kolivan, and he's noticed us.”  
  
James looked over and winced. Kolivan did _not_ look happy, and he seemed to be waiting for them to come to him, rather than closing the gap himself. Krolia noticed them as well, and she left Kolivan's side as they approached him to go do something in the greenhouse.  
  
“You had... _one_ job.” Kolivan said, looking at Keith.  
  
“Hey, I had my Paladin duties to attend to. I'm not _just_ a Blade.” Keith frowned.  
  
“Where did you go?” Kolivan looked at James.  
  
James bit his lip, glancing away. “...I went to see Sendak.”  
  
Kolivan walked closer and knelt down, sniffing him. “You don't _smell_ like him.”  
  
“He took a shower.” Keith supplied. “I insisted on it, seeing as he was around a dead body.”  
  
Kolivan nodded, then gripped James' arm. “Why did you go there?”  
  
“I wanted to yell at a dead body.” James said, shrugging. “It was...therapeutic. Am I in trouble?”  
  
Kolivan reached up and brushed his thumb against James' bottom lip. “No, you're...I'm upset, but you're not in trouble. You didn't visit a _living_ Alpha, after all.”  
  
Keith glanced to the side, looking like he was considering something. “Kolivan? Can...quintessence make a dead body seem alive?”  
  
“I don't know much about quintessence. Why?” Kolivan asked.  
  
“Because, when I went to get James, he said Sendak's body was warm.” Keith explained.  
  
Kolivan's brow furrowed. “...Warm?”  
  
“I didn't feel it for myself.” Keith said as Kolivan got up. “But, uh, he's pretty insistent. I just want to know if that's a thing.”  
  
Kolivan lifted James into his arms. “Well, let's go find out. Come.” He led Keith along as he carried James back to the lab.  
  
“Oh, I'm going on a mission in three days.” James told him. “There's some kind of anomaly, and the MFEs are being sent to check it out.”  
  
“Voltron will be there too, of course.” Keith assured Kolivan.  
  
“Three days.” Kolivan was silent for a bit. “It should be alright. Still, I will be on standby, should you need me.”  
  
They reached the lab and Kolivan went to the room holding Sendak's body. Keith hung back at the door as Kolivan walked over to place his hand on Sendak's body.  
  
“...It _does_ feel a little warm...” He murmured, then went to the head, checking it. “....Get the scientists. I want this strap removed.”  
  
James clutched at Kolivan worriedly as a scientist came over to remove the strap. Then Kolivan tugged on the head and...it didn't move. Keith let out a hiss and Kolivan promptly took James and Keith out of there while the scientist strapped Sendak down again. When they got out of the room, they secured it with the code and then activated a particle barrier along the wall inside.  
  
“How?” James breathed.  
  
“Quintessence can _revive the dead_.” Keith breathed.  
  
“At least he was still asleep?” James said nervously. Had he heard what James had said? Was he _really alive_?  
  
“We must contact the bridge.” Kolivan set James down and hurried off, leaving Keith and James to follow behind.  
  
–  
  
A meeting was called, with the Bridge crew, Blades, MFEs and Paladins all gathered. Slav and Coran came into the room, looking troubled. Shiro looked over at them, his brow furrowed. “Well?”  
  
“I just checked. His straps are holding him, but his vitals are strong. He hasn't shown signs of waking yet. The particle barrier will hold him there, if the straps do not. I suggest we keep tabs on him. Who had the bright idea to put the head and body next to each other?” Coran asked.  
  
“That was me.” Lance held up his hand. “I...thought it'd be less creepy when the scientists studied the body.”  
  
“You didn't know.” Allura said gently. “None of us knew, really.”  
  
“We can't let the rest of the ship know.” Sam decided. “It'd cause a panic. We'll keep him in the lab--”  
  
“What if he breaks out?” Lance interrupted. “What if the particle barrier and lab door isn't enough to hold him?”  
  
“Then, we'll know right away and will send a team. He's outnumbered, and we'll take him down again.” Shiro replied. “For now, act like nothing has changed. Honestly, Griffin, it's a good thing you went because we wouldn't have realized it. Our scientists have been busy with other projects up until now. But, don't go near the lab again, okay?”  
  
James nodded, but didn't say a word. Kolivan placed a hand on his shoulder reassuringly, but he still felt sick knowing Sendak could come after him again. And how much of his rant did he hear? How much did he _know_?  
  
“So, we just act like he's still dead?” Nadia asked.  
  
“Yes. I don't want a _single implication_ that he's alive again to leave this room.” Shiro said sternly. “With any luck, he's too weak to fight us and we can actually interrogate him. Officer Angelo, I'm putting you on the duty of monitoring him at all times. We've had the camera in there off until now, but it's time to turn it on. The rest of you, don't do anything, don't say anything, business as usual. MFEs and Voltron, you have that mission in three days. Focus on that, don't let Sendak distract you from it.”  
  
He gripped the table, his lips pursed. “The smallest distraction could be the difference between life or death.”  
  
–  
  
With that, everyone was dismissed. Kolivan took James back to him room and then finished bringing over James' belongings so he could just live there full-time, save in his quarters and his Alpha scent. Sendak's being alive had made him tense, and he held James closer and buried his nose in James' neck, his lips covering James' neck with light marks but nothing lasting or painful.  
  
“James...” He murmured. “There's something I want to ask you. I've been avoiding it, feeling you probably don't want to be bitten, but since there's this new development...” He hesitated.  
  
“What is it?” James asked.  
  
“I want to Mark you.” Kolivan cleared his throat. “I want to make you my Mate, officially.”  
  
“That...how does that work?” James asked.  
  
“Well, it should've been in the file.” Kolivan looked thoughtful. “To put it simply, I bite you in a certain spot on your neck. And then you bite me in that spot on the other side of my neck.”  
  
James hesitated. “I...don't want to be bitten.”  
  
“I understand.” Kolivan gently kissed him. “We won't do it, then. Until you're ready.”  
  
“Thanks.” James sighed. “I can't believe he's alive. I feel like I'm mentally spiraling back down to that year...”  
  
“Don't.” Kolivan cupped his cheek. “You're not with him, you're with me. He's locked away and you're free. You're free.”  
  
James smiled and buried his face in Kolivan's chest. “Yeah.”  
  
–  
  
“So, we're seriously not going to talk about it?” Lance asked.  
  
The MFEs and Lions flew out of the Altas, heading towards the area the strange anomaly was at. It was around a planet that, according to readings, was habitable but uninhabited.  
  
“Talk about what?” Keith asked.  
  
“Uh, the elephant in the lab.” Lance clarified.  
  
“He's more of a cat, actually.” James remarked. “Purrs and everything.”  
  
“Sendak fucking _purrs_? It's not bad enough that I learn he _fucks_ , now I'm hearing he _purrs_?” Pidge groaned.  
  
“Language.” Sam told her over the comms.  
  
“Man, I can't even get away with using _quiznak_ around him!” Pidge huffed.  
  
“Why not? _He_ uses it.” Nadia pointed out.  
  
“Focus.” Shiro told them.  
  
“Yeah, I mean, we do have some weird space anomaly to deal—WHATTHEFUCKWASTHAT?!” Hunk cried in alarm.  
  
“What was what?” James asked, checking his scanner. Nothing showed up on it.  
  
“It was—there it is again!” Hunk cried, and this time they saw it. A giant, pink tentacle wiping at the air in front of them before it disappeared.  
  
“I got a reading! It's heading for the planet below us!” Pidge spoke up. “It seems to be some kind of...I don't actually know. It's gone again.”  
  
“Should we go after it?” Keith asked.  
  
“Negative, come back and—zzzzzt—scan—zzzzzzzt”   
  
“Shiro? Shiro, we can't hear you!” Keith cried.  
  
“—dins?—zzzzzt—ear me?—zzzzzt—nyone?”  
  
“It looks like that creature is interfering with our systems! We have to go down and take it out!” Keith decided.  
  
“And hope _we_ find _it_ before _it_ finds _us_.” Hunk said grimly.  
  
They all landed on the jungle-covered planet and got out with their weapons ready. With so much ground to cover, they decided to split up in groups of two and three and keep in contact via helm-comms.   
  
“If you see the creature, or hear it, or _anything_ , don't engage, call for backup.” Keith told them before walking off with James as the others split off.  
  
“What do you think we're dealing with?” James asked.  
  
“I have no idea,but if it can block our connection to the Atlas, it's a problem we have to take care of.” Keith looked around. “I don't see it anywhere...”  
  
“Maybe we shouldn't have left our ships.” James frowned.  
  
“We didn't get anything on our radars.” Keith shook his head, then ducked to avoid a low-hanging branch.  
  
“So, we know it's pink, and we know it has tentacles. What else do we know about it?” James asked.  
  
“Uhm...nothing else, really. Oh, wait, it's huge. We know it's huge.” Keith looked around as they stepped out in front of a large waterfall. “Okay, well, this has been a nice nature walk, but there's no sign of the weird tentacle creature.”  
  
“Well, we know it went down, and we didn't run into it on the—what's that?” James tensed, looking around.  
  
Keith frowned. “Something smells...sweet.”  
  
“Are you feeling warm?” James took off his helmet, panting a bit.  
  
“You okay?” Keith walked over to him. “You said you had some time left...”  
  
“No, this isn't...this isn't my heat, it's not that kind of warm. It's...I don't know, comfortable? Like a warm bath?” James shrugged.  
  
“Put your helmet back on.” Keith took it and put back on James' head. “There's a monster lurking, remember?”  
  
“Uhm...right. Monster.” James adjusted his helmet.  
  
“You're right about it feeling warm, though. That sweet smell is getting stronger, too.” Keith gasped and quickly turned around, changing his Bayard into a sword. “Who's there?”  
  
James shifted his gun in his hand, then gasped when he felt something slid against his leg. “I think it's here, Keith!”  
  
“Where?” Keith looked around in alarm, then yelped and jumped a foot in the air when something brushed against him. “Seriously?! It's invisible?!”  
  
“Ow!” James winced and looked at a tear in his suit, where it looked like he'd been cut into by something. “What...what was _that_?” He stepped back, feeling a bit woozy. “Nn...so warm...”  
  
“Shit, that hurt!” Keith hissed, stumbling back a bit. He bumped into James and they both hit the jungle floor. “Gotta...gotta call for backup.”  
  
Their helmets were suddenly removed and tossed to the side before pink tentacles became visible and lovingly wrapped around them. Keith hissed and struggled for a bit, but he was losing focus and starting to wonder _why_ he was fighting back. The creature used more tentacles to tear at their bodysuits, vulnerable around the area that probably mattered most to it.  
  
“L-Let go!” Keith tried to pull free again, but James was gone, his mind clouded by the strange warmth overtaking his body. He felt the tentacles move over his body and he moaned softly in response. One probed at his anus and he groaned softly when it pushed in slightly.  
  
“James! Fight it! Hey, get off me! S-Stop, you—mmph!” Keith got a mouthful of tentacle and James' mouth was lovingly offered one as well, which he took easily as the one below pushed in a little more.  
  
Keith gave up on fighting and they were brought close together as the creature, a giant, pink octopus with one eye, stared down at them gleefully as it explored their bodies, pushing its tentacles inside of them. Keith took a bit more preparation than James, but James easily took it in and it took delight in how easy he was to play with while it preparing Keith with a liquid it secreted.  
  
It was therefore distracted and _greatly_ surprised when something stabbed into the back of its head and it let out a screech before releasing them and rounding on its attacker. The attacker ducked to the side and fired off his arm again, stabbing the creature in the eye before their other hand used a knife to slash at the creature's tentacles as he ran by each one on the way to the victims.  
  
The creature let out a screeching wail and the attacker stopped and ran at it, slamming a kick into its eye and slashing at the tentacles that reached for it. Realizing it wasn't going to win this, the creature tried to flee and the attacker ran after it, scooping up James' gun and firing a few shots before running over and stabbing it in the eye until it fell limp to finish it off.  
  
Covered in the creature's blood, he flicked it off his fur before running over and kneeling next to James, gently lifting him into his arms.  
  
James slowly blinked to clear his head as Keith groaned next to him and his eyes widened when he realized who was holding him.  
  
“Are you alright, my Omega?” Sendak asked with genuine concern. “I'm sorry I was late. I had to break out of a ship to get to you.”  
  
“S-Sendak...?” James breathed.  
  
“Yes?” He asked.  
  
“You...how...you _broke out_?” James looked terrified.  
  
“My Omega was in danger. I _had_ to come. I sensed it.” Sendak replied. “Unless...I misunderstood?” He looked towards the dead creature. “Were you not in danger, after all?”  
  
“No, you...you _broke out_? How did you break out? Did you hurt anyone?!” James cried.  
  
“I was focused on getting out of there. I _did_ have to push aside a man that tried to block my way, he had an arm like mine, but I was stronger.” Sendak nodded.  
  
“'A man'? You can't just call him 'Shiro'? Or 'Champion'?” Keith frowned.  
  
“...I didn't _know_ who he was. Actually...I don't even know who my Omega is, I just know he's mine.” Sendak admitted.  
  
“...What _do_ you remember?” Keith asked.  
  
“Not much. I remember my name. I remember I serve the Galra Empire. And...that's about it.” Sendak shrugged. “Aside from the basic functions, of course.”  
  
“So, you don't remember that Zarkon is dead? That you attacked Earth? _Any_ of that?” Keith demanded.  
  
“...Zarkon is dead?” Sendak breathed. “Then...who is the Emperor?”  
  
“Uhm...no one, right now.” James frowned. “You...you don't remember _me_?”  
  
“I know, what kind of Alpha forgets their Omega's name?” Sendak laughed a bit. “You'll have to forgive me, my Omega.”  
  
“...It's James. James Griffin.” James said, his voice quiet.  
  
“James.” Sendak tried the name on his tongue. “And you are?” He looked at Keith.  
  
“Uhm...I'm Keith. Look, uh...the Galra Empire has actually pretty much fallen. You've...forgotten a lot.” Keith said, deciding to just go with it.  
  
“I'm starting to gather that, yes.” Sendak frowned at their torn clothes. “We should get you some--”  
  
“DON'T YOU MOVE, SENDAK!”  
  
Sendak's ears folded back and he gripped his knife as he looked at Shiro, Veronica and Coran coming out of the treeline.  
  
“Shiro, no!” Keith held up a hand. “He saved us!”  
  
“And he doesn't remember pretty much anything.” James added.  
  
“I remember _something_.” Sendak said, looking a bit offended.  
  
“What do you mean?” Veronica asked.  
  
“He doesn't even know that Zarkon is dead.” Keith clarified. “He's...he's forgotten a lot.”  
  
“...Huh.” Shiro lowered his arm. “I still don't trust him. We'll put him in a cell until we know what to do with him.” He looked over at Kolivan and Krolia coming up behind them. “Sendak's...docile.” He looked back at Keith and James. “What happened to you?”  
  
“Ugh, I _don't_ want to talk about it.” James shuddered, then gasped as Sendak wrapped his arms around him and lifted him up.  
  
Kolivan let out a low growl as he walked over and Sendak growled back, holding James closer.  
  
“Oh, shit.” Keith breathed, laughing a bit.  
  
“Hey!” Krolia walked over. “You two Alphas can have it out later, let's get these kids back to the Atlas.”  
  
“Oh! Helmets!” Keith reached for his and Shiro went over to get it for him. Krolia stayed by the two Alphas, staring them down to keep them from fighting. “Paladins, MFEs, return to your Lions and ships. The creature's been killed.”  
  
“Great! How'd you do it?” Lance asked.  
  
“Uh...Sendak did it, actually. He's...he broke out, and he's here, and he and Kolivan are kind of having a stare-down. Good news, though, he's forgotten everything and is kind of on our side?”  
  
“Oh boy...” James groaned as Sendak held him closer and Kolivan looked ready to kill.  
  
“Just when things had _finally_ calmed down.” Veronica sighed.  
  
“At least he's on our side?” Coran shrugged.  
  
End

 

**Author's Note:**

> Dying and coming back to life apparently wiped your memory! Who knew?


End file.
